What is the First Year Learning Initiative?

The First Year Learning Initiative (FYLI) is a unique, locally-developed and faculty-driven program for building academic success in the early college career. There are currently over 75 FYLI-certified courses, including many of the highest-enrollment, highest-impact gateway courses at NAU. In 2013-2014, 98% of the first-year cohort was enrolled in at least one FYLI course.

FYLI brings faculty together in deep collaboration, empowering them to collectively re-envision how lower-division courses are designed and taught. We believe that through FYLI, curriculum can once again be a collaborative and co-creative space.

FYLI is based on the fact that students need – and want – high standards in their lower-division coursework. They also need to have those standards clearly communicated from the first moments of engagement with a course. To be successful, students need support, guidance, highly engaging pedagogy, and clear, frequent feedback. Through the FYLI development process, course coordinators collaboratively reshape their courses in order to meet these needs, focusing on three critical areas:

Socializing students for excellenceFYLI courses establish the attitudes, skills, and behaviors that enable students to succeed in the first year and beyond. Critical aspects include increased rigor and excellence and providing effective scaffolding for students to succeed.

DesignFYLI courses maximize student engagement through critical design features. These include requiring substantial student engagement beginning in the first week, setting high standards, and effectively using the learning opportunities in both the classroom and in the co-curriculum.

AlignmentIn FYLI courses, learning outcomes will clearly connect with the course’s learning activities and assessments. Multi-section courses will also have clear coordination plans in place.

In 2014-2015, FYLI will not be accepting new courses into the program. All currently certified courses will continue to receive Peer TA support during the academic year. We anticipate being able to accept new courses for certification starting in 2015-2016 pending budget approval.

For more information

Michelle Miller, Director, First Year Learning Initiative, University College